The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-04-07


were compelled to remain in the cabin
for fear of being washed off the deck,
and even in our cabin it was very uu-
comfortable, although the only place of
refuge, it being now and then drenched
with water which came dashing through
the port holes and gangway, wetting all
our bedding and ourselves. We had no
place in which to lie down, unless in a
wet bed, and to add to this on Saturday
We were 20 sea.sick that we could not
have remained on deck if there had been
nothing else to have prevented. On
Sunday morning the gale began to abate,
and by noon it had almost passed of.
Sunday evening, Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday ne had beautiful sailing
weather. Our course from Charleston
was southeast, and ne continued in that
course until we reached the 18th degree
of longitude, and then our course was
directly south, running east of the Ba.
hama Islands. The first land we saw
after leaving Charleston was the Island
of San Salvador, which We reached on
Tuesday at II o'clock in the morning.
It was, indeed, a beautiful sight. We
had a view of the eastern portion of the
Island, with its ragged coral reefs, etc.
We ran in two or three miles of its beach
for about fifteen miles. The Island, I
learned, is inhabited by indolent and
lazy negroes, and they make but little to
export, living principally on fish, the
flesh of the conk and potatoes, which
they can raise ia abundance. The light
house is magnificent structure, situated
on high bluff, rising abruptly from the
water some fifty or sixty feet, the light of
which on an ordinary night can be seen
twenty miles. Forty miles further south
brought us to Fortune Island, inhabited
also by negroes, there being only one
white man on the entire Island. The
lighthouse on OF near Fortune Island is
another magnificent structure, situated
on Birds Rock, which rock rises about
twenty-five feet out Of the water, about
one and half miles from land. Next
we came in sight of Crooked Island.
We ran in three or four miles of the
Island for about forty miles, in full view
of it all the way. We the then reached
the lighthouse on Castle Island, aud
passed it.about 6 o'clock in the morning.
It was a beautiful day, (2nd March,
and we had one hundred miles to sail
before we reached Bsracoa. The sea was
smooth and beautiful, and as I stood on
deck I thought it the prettiest sea I ever
saw. reached Bsracoa at 6 o'clock in
the evening. To enter the harbor from
the SEA you have to pass between two
high points Of rocks, extending from the
| land. Those points of rock are not more
than three hundred yards apart. The
harbor is round and basin.shaped, cover
ing about forty acres, and being almost
entirely surrounded by mountains, giving
fine protection for all vessels anchored
[ within it.
We saw but little of Baracoa that
evening, but on Thursday morning
looking from the deck, we saw the most
beautiful and picturesque scenery thai
the eye ever beheld. The eastern end Of
Cuba is a wild, beautiful, mountainous
country, and in this portion Of the Island
the city of Baracoa is situated. Il
appeared to us that ne were in BASIN
with those beautiful mountains rising up
all around us, covered from the bottom
to the top with the cocoanut, palm, and
sapadillo trees, growing without cultiva.
tion. All The inhabitants have to do is
to gather the fruit after it ripens and
-
falls.
Thursday morning, after making oul
toilet, we left the vessel and went over
to the city, where we 6rst sought for the
American Consul, and presented to him
our credentials and letters of introduction
which we had received from gentlemen
of Charleston, and which we presented to
merchants and others in Baracoa. We
found the city Of Baracoa to be an old
Spanish town of 600 inhabitants, situa.
ted upon high bluff, some sixty feet
above the water level, and extending
about one and half miles in length
along the coast. The way to reach the
main street of the city from the wharf
or narrow street which runs along the
edge Of the water, is by number of long
rock steps ascending up the bluff, which
steps are supposed to have been built by
Columbus. The streets are like all old
Spanish towns, narrow and without side.
walks, every person walking in the mid
Edleof the streets. The houses are all,
with few exceptions, one story, buildings,
the doors opening directly on the street,
and without glass windows-the windows
having bars of iron across them like our
Iiails. The houses, except few buildings
lately put up, are all covered with the
palm leaf, and look like they might have
all been built one hundred and fifty
years ago or longer. The inhabitants
are about one. third white and two. thirds
negroes and halfbreeds, and all speak
the Spanish language. There is but one
American in the city. They have no
roads leading into the city-no carts,
wagons, carriages or other vehicles,
except two or three drays which carry
the goods from the wharf into the city.
All the produce brought from the interi.
or is brought oD mules and oxen. 1t
WAS novel sight to me when l first
Il L. f,,11. -